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Using data from two statewide surveys conducted in 2018 and 2020, this study explores the characteristics of adults who racialize serious crime arrestees and examines if racialization influences worry of victimization in minority neighborhoods. Results show a significant increase in perceptions of Whites as the largest portion of arrestees, suggesting a reduction in racialization. Those who do racialize serious crime arrestees were significantly more likely to express worry of victimization in predominantly Black or Hispanic neighborhoods. Our findings suggest the public lacks accurate information about arrests for serious crimes which may perpetuate stereotypes about minorities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to determine whether persons of different racial/ethnic backgrounds differ in their perceptions of the role racial discrimination plays in the overrepresentation of Black people in the U.S. prison system. The paper also tested the gradient hypothesis of comparative conflict theory, which predicts Black people perceive the greatest amount of racial discrimination, followed by Latinx and white people, respectively. This study also tested whether perceptions of race relations between Black, Latinx, and white people influenced the role participants thought racial discrimination played in Black people's overrepresentation. Nationally representative Gallup Poll data were used. Results partially supported the gradient hypothesis. Black people were more likely than Latinx and white people to perceive racial discrimination to explain Black people's overrepresentation in prison, but Latinxs' views did not differ from whites'. Participants who perceived poorer relations between Black, Latinx, and white people were more likely to consider racial discrimination to explain Black people's overrepresentation. Findings suggest Black people and those who perceive poorer race relations are most likely to support criminal justice reform efforts aimed at reducing racial disparities in the criminal justice system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This exploratory paper examined the correlates of the decision of shoppers who perceived that they were victims of profiling in a retail setting to report the incident. As part of a larger study on consumer racial profiling (CRP), this paper examined the respondents who stated that they experienced CRP (n = 215) and reported the CRP incident (n = 45). Multivariate analysis was used to determine the most significant predictors of the decision to report the incident. The authors discuss the implications of the research results for the public and retailers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article provides a re-examination of the progress of African Americans in criminology/criminal justice doctoral programs since 2004. It focuses on African-American faculty, their scholarly research, and involvement in professional associations. Recent trends in African Americans enrolled in doctoral programs also are analyzed. Findings indicate that the representation of African-American faculty and doctoral students in criminology and criminal justice programs has increased although both continue to be underrepresented in programs at predominantly white institutions. Evidence of increases in their contributions to the body of knowledge and service to professional associations was notable. The article concludes with strategies and recommendations for ensuring that inclusion continues to matter in the next decade. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ever since the highly publicized Texas case in which a wealthy, Caucasian teenager invoked ‘affluenza’ as a mitigating factor during his homicide trial, public discourse has debated the appropriateness of considering wealth during criminal sentences. Underlying this debate is a question about race: would a black defendant have the same chance of successfully using the affluenza defense? Intersectionality suggests that considerations of class, as implicated by the affluenza debate, are necessarily conditioned by understandings of race. This research examines whether public opinion supports the idea that extreme wealth contributes to criminal offending; whether affluence should be considered during sentencing; and whether a black defendant would able to use the affluenza defense successfully. Examining public opinion data from a statewide poll in Pennsylvania, this research explores public opinion on affluenza and examines whether race and other demographic characteristics influence the attribution process. The researchers use multivariate models to investigate significant predictors tied to respondents’ opinions, and they make observations about the impact of these factors on due process in sentencing procedures. This research provides an important first step in exploring whether the public perceives affluenza to be related to offending, related punitiveness, and the interplay of race with that attribution process. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Within the last two decades, scholars have studied public opinion on racial profiling in multiple contexts, yet there have been limited studies that have examined whether public opinion on racial profiling is consistent across these unique contexts. Using a random sample of White adults from Pennsylvania, we studied whether perceptions on the discriminatory nature of racial profiling, and the perceived effectiveness of this practice in airports, retail settings, and traffic stops, form two distinct latent measures. We found that perceptions of racial profiling as discriminatory are general across these multiple contexts; the same was found to be true for perceptions of effectiveness as well. These latent measures also had different correlates by age and gender. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper tests core tenets of the theory of African-American offending proposed by Unnever and Gabbidon. Their theory posits that African-Americans have a common worldview on matters of race that is related to their offending. However, Unnever and Gabbidon further hypothesize that immigrant blacks do not fully embrace the worldview shared by US-born blacks. Using a 2008 national Gallup poll, we examine whether US-born blacks share a common worldview and whether foreign-born blacks differ in their opinions on key issues including: criminal injustices, the state of American race relations, attitudes towards immigration and illegal immigrants, and the perception of mobility within American society. The results partially confirm their two key hypotheses; there are no entrenched differences in the public opinions of US-born blacks on race-related matters while immigrant blacks do not wholly endorse their worldview. We discuss the implications of these two findings in relation to how scholars conceptualize offending among blacks. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Using open-ended survey questions, this study looks to expand on prior race and crime public opinion research by examining Philadelphia area residents' views as to why they believed Blacks and Hispanics are overrepresented in the criminal justice system. The results reveal that Philadelphia citizens do have distinct opinions, in that a majority of participants discussed several contributing factors. Respondents believed that family influences, economic reasons, and lack of education were top contributing factors to both Black and Hispanic disproportionality. Generally speaking, similarities were found in individual participants' responses to both Black and Hispanic disproportionality questions, with a few notable exceptions. White respondents were significantly more likely to believe that economic factors contribute to the overrepresentation of Blacks in the criminal justice system. Finally, participants' answers to the Black and Hispanic questions did not differ based on the race of the respondent. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

There is a need to explore trends in data use by researchers in criminology to assess the limitations of the knowledge base in the discipline. The current study explores the use of data published in three top criminology journals over a 10-year period to review: (1) data types (primary, secondary, or both), (2) the age of the data, and (3) whether scholars using data at least a decade old mention it as a limitation. The study found that the time dimension of data varied by publication source. A heavy reliance on secondary data was observed across all journals. Studies using only secondary data tended to have older data on average when compared to other data types. A majority of articles using data at least a decade old did not mention it is a shortcoming. The paper concludes by discussing advantages and disadvantages of relying on secondary data within the discipline of criminology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to examine the role of race in explaining perceived criminal injustice through an examination of the Trayvon Martin shooting. The study was grounded in the racial gradient thesis. We utilized the 2012USA Today/Gallup Poll data of a nationally representative sample of more than 2000 respondents. The sample included African-Americans, Hispanics, and Whites. African-Americans were the racial group most likely to believe that criminal injustice surrounded the Trayvon Martin shooting. Hispanics generally perceived more criminal injustice than Whites regarding the shooting, though this difference was not always statistically significant. Past mistreatment of minorities likely explained much of the differences in perceptions. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper discusses research pertaining to law enforcement agencies' recording of crime statistics by race. Using data from a 2010 statewide poll in Pennsylvania, we examined whether there was support for the current policy that requires police to record the race of arrestees. In addition, the poll asked Pennsylvanians (N = 758) whether they believe that recording race and crime statistics promotes racial stereotypes. The study also examined the influence of several covariates (gender, age, race, and education) on the dependent measures. In particular, two hypotheses were tested; first, whether Whites would be more likely to support the recording of race statistics than non-Whites, and second, whether non-Whites would be more likely than Whites to believe that the recording of race statistics promotes racial stereotypes. The study found support for both hypotheses. The implications of these results are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research examined state-level cases where businesses sued their insurance company in order to recoup losses related to theft. The study was based on 70 civil suits that provided the characteristics and outcomes of such litigation. In general, the cases revealed the following: Such legal suits were on the rise; males more than females were involved in the incidents in which the loss occurred; those in nonmanagerial positions were most often the employees who caused the loss; larceny, and embezzlement were most often the ways in which losses occurred; the cases involved significant losses; and, insurers were compelled to pay all or most of the claim in many of the cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Building on Todd Clear's (2001) recent declaration that academic criminal justice has come of age, this study examines chairs in American criminology and criminal justice programs. By way of survey, chairpersons (n = 78) randomly selected from programs across the United States were questioned in a number of areas related to their positions. The study finds that chairs in these programs are struggling with the same concerns as chairs in other academic disciplines (i.e., competing roles and job-related stress). As such, while many of them are fairly satisfied with their positions, most of them plan on returning to the faculty once their term is completed. Based on the results of the research, there were two clear implications. First, because of the onerous time demands, young scholars are to be discouraged from taking on significant administrative responsibilities until they have been promoted, tenured, and have achieved some level of accomplishment within the discipline. Second, scholars who are currently chairs and have ambitions of moving through the administrative ranks should be encouraged to do so. As more criminologists progress through the administrative ranks, it is anticipated that the discipline will be viewed and treated more favorably within American universities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the beginning of the twentieth century, one of the more interesting and controversial groups within the African-American community has been the Nation of Islam. Founded in the thirties by Wallace Fard Muhammad, and later popularized by Elijah Muhammad and Malcolm X, the group's religious foundations are in Islam. The Nation of Islam has always appealed to the most downtrodden groups of the African American community, and as such has traditionally drawn many of its followers from these ranks. Lincoln documents how Elijah Muhammad created a mass movement which, at its height, was successful in recruiting the lumpen-proletariat of the African American community. Much can be learned from the numerous efforts by the Nation of Islam to prevent crime in the African American community.

This paper examines the experiences of a select group of faculty (N = 37) from across the country who teach courses related to race and crime. Using survey methodology, the researchers solicited the faculty members' views on the course as well as their experience in teaching the course. The research was also designated to determine the receptivity of students to the course, as well as the nature of the evaluation scores of instructors who teach these courses. Most instructors reported having had a good teaching experience and felt the course should be required. Respondents also indicated that their teaching evaluation scores for race and crime courses were generally in line with their scores for other courses. The research found very minimal differences between the teaching evaluation scores of white and nonwhite race and crime instructors. Students were perceived to be generally enthusiastic about taking this course. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Presents a study which examined the selection of criminal justice and criminology as the field of study and career choice of Afro-Americans at historically black colleges and universities. Discussion on selecting an academic major; Methodology used; Gender comparison of students.

Presents information on a study which investigated the integration of African American scholarship into the discipline of criminology. Brief discussion and review of literature on cultural literacy and African American cultural literacy in criminology; Theoretical contributions of African Americans; Overview of the research methodology; Recommendations for future research.

Presents a case study that examined the role of race and course content in the teaching evaluation scores of an African American criminologist teaching at a predominantly white institution. History of African American instructors in higher education; Role of African American instructors in the emergence and application of multicultural movements; Effect of race and course content on the teaching evaluation scores of African American criminologists.

Presents information on a study that reviewed the results of a citation analysis conducted to determine the extent of references to African American scholarship in American criminology texts published between 1918 and 1960. Research methods; Results and discussion; Conclusion.

This article seeks to examine whether W.E.B. Du Bois established a “school” during his tenure at Atlanta University. Du Bois has been the subject of several recent publications that examine his criminological contributions. In addition to his criminological thinking, his research has been identified as pioneering work. On the basis of Du Bois's research program at Atlanta University from 1897 to 1913, the author concludes that Du Bois established one of the first “schools” of social scientific research in the United States. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Re-examines the status of criminal justice education at historically black colleges and universities in the United States. Bachelor's and master's degrees in criminal justice; Employment in criminal justice agencies; Employment in higher education; Afro-Americans in criminal justice.

W.E.B. DuBois, renowned African American scholar of the late 19th and early 20th century, made significant contributions to the history and study of African Americans. Although he is not identified as a criminologist, many of his writings included discussions about crime. This paper will discuss some of DuBois's early works relevant to criminal justice/criminology. Although his works preceded mainstream (white male) writings, a sample of criminal justice/criminology texts reveals that they are rarely cited or discussed. This author believes that DuBois's works should be included in most criminal justice/criminology texts. Like other early African American scholars, DuBois has not yet been recognized widely by the field of criminal justice/criminology. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Addresses the question as to why "Criminal Justice Studies" is publishing a special edition on race and justice. Belief that race is one of the most important topics in criminal justice; Increase in the scope of race and justice research, noting a focus on other minorities such as Native Americans, Latinos, and Asian Americans; Review of the articles published in this issue, noting they deal with minorities and the criminal justice system.

An introduction is presented in which the editor discusses articles in the issue on topics including student learning, non-doctoral granting programs, and the plagiarism.